The Honda Small RS Concept is aggressively cute

Looks like the Civic Type R’s playful spirit has been contagious at Honda, the automaker unveiling a new Small RS Concept hot hat that delivers pint-sized performance. Introducing its debut at the 2018 Indonesia International Auto Show today, the new concept car was designed by the automaker’s Asia-Pacific R & D team, bringing to some of the features of the Civic Type R a smaller platform.

“Honda Small RS Concept is implementing our endless innovation, focusing on Honda’s sporty spirit, especially in small cars,” said Takehiro Watanabe, chief executive officer of Honda Prospect Motor, on the vehicle. “As a concept car, it’s our vision of what a small sports car should be.”

It is clear where the influences for this vision lie. The Small RS concept has important grille openings in the front fascia, as well as a scoop and a large wing at the rear. The shiny black piano exterior trim for the grille, side mirror housings and door handles are certainly distinctive compared to the vibrant orange paint.

The unusual vertical trapezoidal exhaust pipes at the rear are a nice diversion from what you’ll find at the rear of most performance sedans, although the wheels look like models we’ve seen on other models of the manufacturer. There are a lot of RS badgers, for a car that manages to look both aggressive and cute at the same time.

While you might wonder why Honda needs a car like this, there are good reasons. The Civic Si and Civic Type R are excellent, but they have grown steadily over the years – just like most other cars, as automakers respond to consumer demands for space and safety. As a result, today’s hot-hatchs are significantly larger than their predecessors, even though the nameplate is the same.

Unfortunately, it is unclear whether Honda will produce a car like the Small RS Concept. The overall design is a preview of the upcoming Honda Brio, one of the company’s cars sold in markets such as India, Thailand and South Africa. Unfortunately, this currently offers at most 99 horses.